A Supreme Lesson in Justice

Va. Students Learn About Law, Science and Persuasion in Mock High Court

In a school library transformed for a day into the nation's highest court, Langley High School student Melissa Reif stepped before a panel of black-robed jurists.

"Mr. Chief Justice," she began. "And may it please the court."

In what has become an annual event at the Fairfax County school, Melissa and her classmates late last month presented legal arguments to a mock court in a case pending before the U.S. Supreme Court. The exercise capped weeks spent delving into the justice system and the role of DNA testing in criminal cases.

To prepare for "Case Day," Langley students immerse themselves in a pressing legal issue. This year, they took on the case of convicted rapist William G. Osborne, who is asking the high court to allow modern genetic testing of evidence from the 1993 Alaska crime of which he was convicted.

Allison Cohen, who teaches Advanced Placement government, said the lesson provides a window into criminal justice. But it also hones research and analytical skills, pushing students to defend arguments and think on their feet.

"The high school curriculum is necessarily focused more on breadth than depth," Cohen said. "This gives them a chance to test their skills and learn one subject in depth."

Case Day, which brings a flavor of law school to the high school level, was started by a government teacher in 1993 and has grown more elaborate over the years. Teachers said they don't know of another high school with a similar program. At Langley, senior AP government students run Case Day. They take a quiz on the case and earn credit for participating. Biology students joined in this year because the case focused on DNA-related technology.

In the Feb. 27 event, students presented opposing views on questions sparked by advances in genetic testing. They debated whether prenatal genetic engineering should be legal, and whether insurance companies and employers should be given access to DNA test results.

They heard from Rickie Johnson, who was wrongly convicted of rape in Louisiana and spent 25 years in prison before he was exonerated through DNA testing. And they met one of Osborne's attorneys, who critiqued their version of Supreme Court arguments.

Hearing Johnson's story and talking to other people behind court decisions brought the lesson to life.

"It was so heavy," said Stormy Budwig, 18. "We were dealing with people's lives. It was so real."

Melissa, 17, and three classmates chosen as "lawyers" -- slots won after dozens of students auditioned -- put themselves in the shoes of government attorneys and Osborne's legal team.